CRAFT, CREATE AND CONTINUE IN FAITH

 i know it's never too late to do what makes your heart sing. i've been singing loud and proud for the past 5 years. i'm following my crafty heart but, the logical brain has to continually pull back the crafty heart. going back to my childhood i was always crafting something. mostly crochet work. i taught myself how to crochet when i was 10. soon after that i learned how to read patterns. i made blankets by the bunches (my family was always warm). i took sewing and arts & crafts classes in high school. i loved every minute of the class and the free style designs we had as projects. i don't generally use the word REGRET in my vocabulary. i have to say now, i regret not exploring the creative self more 30 years ago.
 i was married at 21 had my daughter at 22, my son at 24 and divorced at 26. WOW. i was a stay at home mom back then. crafting and creating when ever i could. after i got divorced i had to go to work full time and put together a career. i became a licensed practical nurse and for the next 17 years worked in the field of nursing. i purchased a little 1800's cottage ( it was a fixer upper) in atlantic highlands, nj. i raised my children there. decorating really wasn't in my budget. thrift shops, yard sales & consignment shops became my main source for adding the country/victorian decor i love. i was doing a shabby-chic and didn't know anything about rachel ashwell . my creative side flared up only to decorate the house, i had no time for all the "hands on" crafting i was aching to do.
 fast forward to 2005 jim asked me to marry him. it was a long time coming. we met in 1997 and dated for 3 years. by the end of 2000 the relationship wasn't going in a positive direction and we parted. july 1 we will be married 4 years. it hasn't been easy blending two families. working full time, sometimes part time and sometimes not at all. when i wasn't working i was focusing on the shop. falling short for some reason or another has left me more then frustrated.

 i've made a few choices over the past 3 months. first i stopped working full time, i've returned to college, summer classes then full time in the fall. i'm making a professional career change. i'm hoping to use my 17 years of nursing experience along with my new degree in art therapy/recreation. this is something i have to do just in case. i will have to give up my booth space after the summer ( i sure hope i sell out i don't want to put all my stuff in storage). i'm still working on projects as time allows. i'm sharing a few with you all. i hope you enjoy them. first is a vintage mirror redesign. we live on the jersey shore, i try to do projects with shells. many customers are on vacation and they want the beachy look back home. i did a shell mosaic on the outside of the mirror. i think it turned out great. next up, a vintage tea pot. what does one do with a tea pot missing the lid. mmmmmmm pin cushion. easy redo. a styrofoam ball, batting and some pretties. glued with weld-bond. the little urn redo is metal. i hit it up with some spray paint. cute. i cut a piece of fabric and stuffed it with batting. glued it with weld-bond. lastly 3 vintage plates and a few candle sticks (new) glued all up with weld-bond. they make a pretty 3 tier dessert server. (weld-bond is great and it dries clear. i get mine at a stained glass wholesaler. i've also found it at a.c. moore)

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until the next time.
blessings
marie